MONTGOMERY — The United States has produced a number of memorable Olympic champions on the wrestling mats, from the late Jeff Blatnick to Rulon Gardner to Cael Sanderson.

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By WILLIAM MONTGOMERY

recordonline.com

By WILLIAM MONTGOMERY

Posted Feb. 13, 2013 at 2:00 AM

By WILLIAM MONTGOMERY
Posted Feb. 13, 2013 at 2:00 AM

» Social News

MONTGOMERY — The United States has produced a number of memorable Olympic champions on the wrestling mats, from the late Jeff Blatnick to Rulon Gardner to Cael Sanderson.

After the 2016 games, however, there likely will be no names added to that list. Wrestling will no longer be an Olympic sport.

"It's disappointing. Hopefully maybe down the line they think about bringing it back," said Port Jervis coach Eric Hartmann, who was at the Section 9 Division I championships on Tuesday. "It's one of the original Olympic sports. It's one of the oldest sports in the world. It was kind of a blow and a shock to our community for that to happen."

Although it comes around only once every four years and is rarely broadcast in prime time, Olympics wrestling at least gives young athletes exposure to the sport.

"Most guys, when they're done wrestling, either high school or college, they're looking to become a teacher or coach or they're striving for the Olympics," Hartmann said. "Taking that out of the mix is really going to hurt. It doesn't help us recruiting kids to be part of the sport. It's going to hurt us a little bit."